Reading A Heart
by HANAJIMA UCHIHA
Summary: Ghostwriter has spent his entire existance alone with his books. Who would have thought he would find friendship among these great literary works?


**I thought it would be fun to do.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or other relating characters.**

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Dani flew through the many shelves of the library.

How could one person read through all these books? It would take an entire lifetime!

Then again, as ghosts, they had all the time in the world.

"Why do you like reading so much?"

Ghostwriter trailed bellow her, opting to walk rather than fly. "Reading is the best way to forget your troubles. It is the one activity that will always suit your mood."

"Your mood?" Dani stopped flying and faced him.

"Yes. Sometimes you just have to be in the mood to do something. You cannot paint without inspiration nor can an author write with no motivation, but with books, you can easily pick to fit your current attitude. Feeling sad? Find a sad book. Feeling adventurous? A good fantasy novel would be most pleasing." Ghostwriter held his hand out. A book flew from a far off shelf into his awaiting hand. "There are books about finding great books! There is not a thing you cannot accomplish with books."

The book opened itself up for the two ghosts and began flipping pages on its own. It stopped when it reached a page about China.

"See here? You can even travel. All this without ever leaving the comfort of your abode."

Dani looked up to the tops of the bookshelves. One tremor and you could be buried alive. "Do you ever get lonely here?"

Ghostwriter snapped the book shut. "My half-brother Randy comes and visits me sometimes. There is also the occasional visitor such as yourself."

Dani smirked. Of course he was lonely. His response wasn't even an answer to her question!

"Do you have friends?"

The author sighed heavily. It was true; he didn't have any real friends.

What could he do? He had spent his entire life like this.

As a young child he had been raised in complete isolation because of his frail body. His parents introduced him to books, in hopes of easing his loneliness.

The books did just that, but they did nothing to help with his anti-social attitude.

Whenever his relatives would come, he simply would not know how to interact with them. They were nothing like the characters in his books. They did not have a heightened sense of morals, nor did they have any redeeming qualities.

They were just normal people.

And he couldn't stand it.

Where were the people he was always reading about?

Where were the great leaders? Where were the child prodigies?

It seemed like he was the only one around.

Despite his parents' many attempts to give him a normal childhood, he still retained his dislike for other people into his schooling years.

He chose the cover of the classroom over the open field of his elementary school playground. He spent his junior high buried in the upper classmen textbooks.

He didn't even attend his high school prom, instead choosing to try and solve a complex calculus equation.

How ironic was it that the one thing he loved the most was what would be his undoing?

Ghostwriter could remember it clearly, how he died.

He had been studying in his university's library. Finals week had rolled around, and the library was packed.

Students were strewn about, studying, discussing projects, even sleeping. The student next to him had fallen asleep on his biology textbook.

He had just rolled his eyes at him. Clearly, he had no work ethic. Staying up to study was so simple.

Better yet, if they had been studying throughout the year, as they should have been, they wouldn't be in here at three in the morning to study.

Ghostwriter himself was reading a new novel by one of his favorite authors; he had no need to study. He had a perfect 100 in every single one of his classes. He was only here because he was not all that sleepy. "Brandon!"

The boy next to him awoke sharply. "What? No, did I fail?"

"You fell asleep studying. _Again._" Ghostwriter snapped.

"Sorry, dude! I'm gonna head back. See ya, bro!" Brandon gathered his papers together before leaving.

Ghostwriter scoffed at him. The man did not even have the decency to speak in proper English.

He looked at his watch.

Maybe he should head back too; he was starting to get a little tired.

He quickly shook the thought from his head and turned the page to his novel. There was a new book in his hand, sleep could wait.

Next thing he knew, he had fallen asleep. His dreams centered around trying to save the world from evil magical overlords.

A blaring alarm woke him from his slumber.

Ghostwriter panicked as the smell of smoke invaded his nostrils and an orange glow danced in the corner of his vision.

The library was on fire!

He dropped his book and ran to the exit.

Too bad for him, it was blocked off by a wall of flames.

Where was he supposed to go? He was in a library for crying out loud! The entire place was a fire hazard!

He ran through the shelves, perhaps he could climb on top of one to exit through the highly mounted windows?

He would have to try; he did not have another choice.

Ghostwriter put one foot on the first shelf of the bookcase, preparing to pull himself up.

A loud creaking noise caused him to turn around.

Indeed, he turned, only to see the bookcase behind him coming closer. He closed his eyes, preparing for the impact.

It came with a loud crash.

Everything went black.

When he woke, he was floating through a strange universe consisting of a radioactive green sky and floating purple landmasses.

"Uh…Ghostwriter?" Dani waved her hand in front of the man's face. He completely zoned out at her last question.

Ghostwriter shook his head. "I'm sorry, Danielle. I got a little distracted. To answer your question, no. I suppose I don't have any real friends. I don't need them as long as I have my library." He opened the book in his hands once more; only to have it snapped shut by Dani.

"You may not need them, but you want them."

Ghostwriter raised his eyebrow at her.

"Want to know how I can tell?" Dani had a clever smile on. "I can tell because I can read you. I can read you like an open book!"

Ghostwriter was struck speechless.

"Do you think I am easier to be played on than a pipe?" Dani quoted directly from the play, Hamlet.

Ghostwriter chuckled. "I suppose you are not. What do you propose I do?"

"I propose!" Dani took Ghostwriter's glasses and put them on. She pushed them up the bridge of her nose to seem more 'professional'. "We be friends!"

Ghostwriter let out genuine laughter. No one had ever even wanted to spend time with him, let alone be his friend. "Is that so? Fair women, I beseech thee. Allow me to accept thou'st offer." He gave a small bow.

Dani giggled, returning with a small curtsey. "Good sir, I bid our friendship well." She shot forward, tackling him into a hug.

Ghostwriter lost his balance both to surprise and her sudden movement.

Who would have thought he would enjoy human pleasures when he was dead?

Smiling, he gently returned her hug.

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**I hope you enjoyed it! The Old English may not be right, but cut me some slack!**

**I just needed a small break from writing Second Chance. **

**No sequels for this, sorry.**

**Review please!**


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